WVDP helps save $8 million for the Department of Energy
VALLEY —
Working together, CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) and other prime contractor sites are eliminating inefficiencies, improving operational cost management and contributing to a resilient, more agile and effective supply chain.
The Supply Chain Management Center (SCMC), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) strategic sourcing program, recently passed a significant milestone, achieving more than $2 billion in savings by National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and DOE Environmental Management (EM) prime contractors across the country.
CHBWV, DOE’s prime
contractor at West Valley Demonstration Project, has contributed $8 million to the $2 billion SCMCenabled savings milestone.
“Eight million dollars in savings is an incredible achievement,” said Jason Casper, CHBWV President and General Manager.
“It speaks to the deep commitment CHBWV and the DOE have in being good stewards of taxpayer dollars while supporting an important national security mission.”
SCMC has been transforming the approach to enterprise supply chain efficiency since 2006. The program works collaboratively with prime contractors to offer purchasing agreements and digital procurement tools that
“This achievement is proof of what happens when prime contractors work together for the benefit of the enterprise,” said Scott Bissen, SCMC Sr. Director.
SCMC helps sites stretch budgets and taxpayer dollars. Savings generated through SCMC agreements and tools can be reinvested into additional site priorities, achieving more mission with existing resources.
“The SCMC is an important part of our business strategy,” said Lynn Holfelder, CHBWV Procurement Manager.
can be used by multiple sites across the DOE. This saves time by reducing duplication of effort and enabling buyers to focus
on site-specific needs. By leveraging a combined $7 billion in annual spend, SCMC can negotiate prices, which saves money. SCMC regularly works with more than 26 NNSA and DOE EM Sites across the country.
“Our team works hard to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and I’m proud of the contribution our team has made to this savings milestone.”
Norra Ainsworth Ethan Allen Landen Andersen Natalia Bellaus Caden Bish
Wesley Conner Lilah
Photo provided
CHBWV employees worked together to eliminate inefficiencies, improve operational cost management and contribute to a resilient, more agile and effective supply chain. Pictured (from left): Cheryl Pavone and Michelle Schweickert, CHBWV Procurement; Lynn Holfelder, CHBWV Procurement Manager; CHBWV President Jason Casper; and Paul Carlone, Alissa Kolodziejski, Jordan Seltzer-Howes, Chelsye Zerfas and Crystal Barsalou from CHBWV Procurement.
June is a month to look forward to for a number of reasons. June is home to Father’s Day; the end of the school year in many locales; vacations often take place in June; and the summer solstice occurs for people living in the northern hemisphere.
The National Weather Service says the summer solstice occurs when the Earth’s tilt toward the sun is at a maximum. When this occurs, the sun appears at its highest elevation, or when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.5 degrees latitude north. The sun’s noontime position changes
very little for several days before and after the solstice. With this positioning of the sun, people enjoy the longest day of the year in terms of daylight hours.
In 2025, the summer solstice occurs on June 20 at 1:41 p.m. EDT. Those in the southern hemisphere will have to wait until December 21 at 4:21 a.m. EST for their summer solstice. In celebration of the solstice, explore these facts about this remarkable day.
• The summer solstice occurs when one of the Earth’s poles is tilted toward the sun at its most extreme angle.
• Per each hemisphere,
solstices occur twice a year: the winter and the summer solstice.
• Various cultures around the world celebrate the summer solstice with traditions, holidays and festivals.
• The summer solstice marks the official start of astronomical summer.
• The world “solstice” is derived from Latin and means “sun standing still.”
• Depending on one’s latitude, the length of daylight a person can enjoy on the solstice varies. At the equator, the time from sunrise to sunset is roughly 12 hours. At temperate or mid-northern latitudes,
the length of daylight lasts about 15 hours, says Space.com.
• Solstices do not land on the same calendar day every year because the astronomical year is 365.25 days long. So the solstices shift a day or two each year, but generally fall within the same three days. In the northern hemisphere, those days are June 20, 21 or 22 for the summer solstice.
• No one is quite sure who discovered that the solstices occur. According to Owen Gingerich, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and History of Science at Harvard University, “[There is] no writing to record this great discovery.”
• The summer solstice often is when the golf season heats up. Many clubs take advantage of the longer days during the week the solstice takes place to host sunrise to sunset
golf tournaments.
• Although the summer solstice is the longest day of the year in terms of daylight hours, typically it is not the hottest. It will take some time for the Earth to heat up with a greater tilt toward
Be
the sun. Hotter days arrive at the end of July and last into August. The summer solstice is a time for celebration. The solstice brings more daylight and the official start of summer and offers plenty of reasons to get outside and enjoy the warm weather.
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Each component of a vehicle performs an important function that ensures the car runs safely and soundly. A working brake system is vital to vehicle safety, so any issues affecting the brakes merit attention. Fortunately, there are various warning signs that indicate to vehicle owners it is time to replace brakes.
• Grinding sound: Sun Auto Service says a deep grinding metal sound indicates that brakes are wearing down. Brake pads typically come equipped with tiny metal ridges on the bottom of the pads to alert the driver that the pads have worn down. Continuing to drive like this will put metal on metal, which can damage the rotors.
• Squealing sound: Some brake pads have
built-in wear indicators. A driver may notice a squealing, screeching or whining noise when the brakes are engaged, says Bridgestone. Grinding or squealing often indicates that the brakes need to be replaced.
• Pulling to one side: When braking, drivers might notice the car pulling over to one side. This indicates brake pads are unevenly worn out, causing the car to pull to one side when braking.
• Visible wear and tear: A visual inspection of the brakes can give drivers an idea of their condition. If the pads are less than a quarterinch thick, it is time to have them inspected or replaced.
• Brake pedal vibration: When brakes are working properly, the vehicle will smoothly slow to a stop. If the brakes are worn out or if the rotors are damaged, the break pedal can vibrate and the car may even buck as it comes to a stop. This means the brakes and possibly the rotors will need to be changed.
• Failure to stop: Of course, a clear indication that it could be time to replace the brakes is if the car does not respond promptly to braking when the brake pedal is pressed. A soft brake pedal or longer stop times might mean brake fluid is low or may indicate the need for a brake replacement.
Various signs may indicate it is time to replace a vehicle’s brakes.
BY DEB EVERTS
LITTLE VALLEY
Good, old-fashioned family fun awaits residents when “Little Valley Community Day” fills Main Street with vendors, live music and children’s activities from 1–9 p.m. Saturday.
Sponsored by The Friends of Little Valley and the Little Valley Volunteer Fire Department, Community Day is a free event that will provide enjoyment for all ages.
The day will feature approximately 40 craft vendors and a number of food vendors offering carnivalstyle food, including kettle corn, cotton candy and lemonade. Three food trucks will offer ice cream, desserts and donuts. Cannon’s Backwoods Brew of Otto is bringing its craft brews.
Connor Hellwig, president of the Friends group, said Bear Brick and Hughes Hotel will offer specials in addition to their typical menus that will be available for ordering. He said tables and chairs will be set up for food and dining. People will be able to carry out food and beverages that they order from the restaurants.
Kids will have plenty of activities to enjoy, including a balloon artist, face painting and yard games. Corn hole, giant Jenga, tic-tac-toe and large connect four will be sprinkled about the family area. There will also be three bounce houses.
A highlight of the day will be the “Paint the Street” event, sponsored by a local painter. Hellwig said sidewalk chalk will be out for the kids to paint a section of Main Street to make a mural to represent Little Valley.
“The mural activity will be
going on all day. We’ll have a section of the street available and chalk will be there so people can draw whatever they want and sign their name,” he said. “That section of Main Street will be painted until Mother Nature decides to rinse it away on us.”
Hellwig said the fire department will be doing a Duck Derby down Little Valley Creek. Sponsored by Crosby’s convenience store, there will be two waves of the derby — one at 3 p.m. and another at 6 o’clock.
“They’ll be dropping the ducks off the bridge, between Main Street and the library; they will be picked up behind the town buildings off Third Street,” he said. “I think the fire department is charging a dollar a duck, with all proceeds going towards support of the department.
The winners of the derby will get a Crosby’s gift card.”
Hellwig said the fire department will have a tent set up where they’ll be doing a “Smash-a-Car” event.
At the end of the day, the firefighters will do a “Jaws of Life” demonstration. There will be lots of live music entertainment throughout the day from three bands. Hellwig said local artist Scott MacCallum and Catastrophic will perform from 1–3 p.m. on one end of Main Street. Ten Pound Hammer, a Pennsylvania band, will play on the opposite end of the street from 3–6 p.m. From 6–9 p.m., local artist Iron Eyes Maybee will close out the day.
THE FRIENDS OF Little Valley was created in 2022. Hellwig said when the group was founded, they wanted to not only do events but
it was back then. He said that it was mainly musicfocused, but now they are trying to create a kind of Old Home Day, like what every town used to do.
“We’re excited about Community Day, and we have plenty more to go in the future, so this is kind of a summer kick-off, and we’re also going to have a summer wind-down event after fair season is over,” he said.
enhance communications in Little Valley, which they have accomplished with their Little Valley Happenings newsletter and Facebook page. They have been striving to make their town more of a neighborhood and give Little Valley a better community feel.
“It wasn’t so much
event-focused as it was more of a camaraderie — ‘let’s get everybody pulling the ship towards the same destination,’ kind of a thing,” he said. “We’re getting established and people know we exist now, so free events like this are all the better and we are looking forward to it.”
According to Hellwig,
this is not the first year that Little Valley has hosted this kind of event. He said another group held something similar a decade or so ago.
He said, like a lot of things, it didn’t last because it was hard to keep going.
Hellwig said bringing this event back to that level looks a little different than what
Hellwig said Main Street will be shut down from the intersection of routes 353 and 242 past Court Street and down to where the former Brooks Market was located at the east end of Main Street. Community Day will be held rain or shine. In the event of inclement weather, the backup is to relocate the festivities to the fire hall on Third Street. More details about the event can be found on the “Little Valley Happenings” Facebook page or by emailing littlevalleyhappenings@ gmail.com.
Photo provided
BY KELLEN M. QUIGLEY
Two cemeteries in Cattaraugus County have recently been recognized for their historical significance to the region.
A new roadside historical marker from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation has been installed at the entrance to the Randolph Cemetery, documenting the organization of the cemetery and honoring four notable Randolph area natives.
The sign was provided through a grant from the Pomeroy Foundation’s New York Historic Marker Grant Program and is the seventh blue and yellow marker the town of Randolph has received.
“Selecting content for the historic markers is a challenge,” explained Nancy Olejniczak, town historian. “The wording must fit within the space constraints of the sign and must meet the criteria set by the foundation’s board that reviews and approves the grants.”
The sign recalls the formation of the Randolph Cemetery Association in 1854. While burials were made on the grounds before this date, the association met for the first time and appointed the first board of trustees on Oct. 13, 1854. Albert G. Dow was elected chairman, and Alex Sheldon was selected as secretary.
“It’s interesting to note that Benson Archer was one of the original trustees and that his descendant, Chuck Archer, now serves as secretary of the cemetery board,” Olejniczak said.
While many individuals interred in the cemetery are worthy of recognition,
Randolph, East Otto cemeteries receive historical marker recognition
four were selected to be named on the sign.
Two Randolph men received a Congressional Medal of Honor for their actions in the Civil War. Albert Marsh (1831–1895), sergeant, Co. B, 64th Regiment NY Infantry, captured the flag of the 44th Virginia Volunteers at Spotsylvania, Va., on May 12, 1864. After this brave act, which earned him the Medal of Honor, he suffered a gunshot wound in his right thigh, resulting in the amputation of his leg. He returned home to Randolph, where he lived until his death in 1895, suffering from both physical disability and mental illness as a result of his wartime experience.
Joel Huntington Lyman (1845–1922), quartermaster sergeant, Co. B, 9th NY Cavalry, was awarded a Medal of Honor as a result of actions in Winchester, Va. He initially enlisted in October 1861 as a private in Co. E of the 9th Cavalry. In an attempt to capture a Confederate flag, he captured an enemy officer on Sept. 29, 1864. His obituary states that after mustering out in 1864, he reenlisted and served as an officer in the U.S. Army until 1871. The Lyman Hose No. 2 Company, part of the Randolph Fire Department, was founded in December 1887 and was named in his honor.
In 1923, the National League of Women Voters placed Martha VanRensselaer (1864–1932) on their list of 12 greatest living American women. VanRensselaer was Head of the Home Economics Department at Cornell University, a department that she organized. She was a leading state and
national figure in the field of home economics with roles that included magazine editor, public speaker and author. During World War I, she served in Washington, D.C. as director of the home conservation division of the National Food Administration. She had also served as a Cattaraugus County School Commissioner. Ray “Slim” Caldwell (1888–1967) was a major league baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox from 1910–1921.
On Sept. 10, 1919, he pitched the first no-hit, no-run game for Cleveland against the Yankees. Following his major league career, Caldwell played on minor league teams for several
more years. He was inducted into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
MEANWHILE, in East Otto, a historical burial marker from the Pomeroy Foundation has been placed at the East Otto Cemetery.
This spring, cemetery director James Beach took on the task of grant writing and application of the newly acquired American Revolutionary Patriot sign. After some research, he applied to the Pomeroy Foundation for the historical sign, which recognizes the cemetery as having Revolutionary War veterans buried there.
The “Patriot Burials” sign recognizes American Revolutionary War veterans buried in the
East Otto Cemetery.
Beach’s diligent work awarded the cemetery with a yellow and blue, 18-by32-inch cast aluminum sign, bearing the inscription “Patriot Burials,” and naming veterans M.T. Beach, J. Burchard, A.W. Treat and E. Larabee, who were buried between 1830 and 1851.
The new sign is located at the corner of Mill Street and County Route 12.
The East Otto Cemetery Association Board of Directors is made up of unpaid volunteers who donate time maintaining the property located on “Cemetery Hill” near the town center. The volunteers do much of the work for the cemetery, which includes annual and emergency
meetings, overseeing the general operation of the cemetery, recordkeeping, accounting, lot sales, burial and foundation arrangements, grant writing for hazardous monument repairs, purchasing of flowers for the spring planting and watering of flower boxes and urns belonging to the cemetery, installation of flags on all veteran sites, general maintenance, painting, leveling new grave sites, planting grass, repairing and stabilizing grave stones, spring and mid-summer and fall clean-ups, tree trimming, trash collection and disposal. For more information about the cemetery, call Larry Steinbar, board president, at (716) 257-3054. Memorials at the time of a loved one’s death, or at any time, may be made by mailing a check, payable to East Otto Cemetery Association, to Michelle Gogel, secretary, 8917 Reed Hill Road, East Otto, NY 14729, or by contacting your funeral home.
The Pomeroy Foundation’s New York State historical marker grant program commemorates historic people, places, things or events within the time frame of 1683 to 1925. Since 2006, the Foundation has funded more than 1,150 markers in all 62 New York State counties. The Foundation strongly believes that historic markers play an important role in local historic preservation by serving a dual purpose. They educate the public and foster historic tourism, which in turn can provide much-needed economic benefits to the towns and villages where the markers are placed.
Photo provided
The Randolph Cemetery has recently received recognition from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation’s New York Historic Marker Grant Program.
BY JIM ECKSTROM
The town of Great Valley supervisor expressed relief June 10 that there were no injuries as a result of the EF1 tornado — with estimated peak winds of 110 mph — that tore through a more than 2-mile section in 4 minutes on June 9.
Dan Brown had spent the morning of Tuesday, June 10 surveying damage in the Sugartown Road-Farm Market Road area as well as meeting with Chris Baker, director of the Cattaraugus County Office of Emergency Services.
Experts with the National Weather Service’s Buffalo office investigated the damage — one house had its roof ripped off as the occupants were in their upstairs bedroom — and confirmed it was consistent with an EF1 tornado.
According to the NWS, the Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies EF1 tornadoes as having 86 to 110 mph winds.
The highest, most destructive rating is an EF5, with winds reaching 200 mph or more.
“During the event, radar signatures indicated debris from the storm had lofted into the atmosphere,” a preliminary report from the NWS stated.
“This allowed for radar confirmation of a tornado.”
Damage from the tornado generally followed Sugartown Road and Forks Creek. The
initial touchdown was at 5:37 p.m. and the first damage occurred in an area between U.S. Route 219 and Farm Market Road, and continued northeast for approximately 2.4 miles, the NWS reported. The swath was about 600 yards wide and the tornado dissipated at 5:41 p.m.
Initial damage from the storm included some hardwood trees north of Route 98 and some facade damage to homes immediately south of 98. Additional damage near the initial touchdown point included the loss of the roof of a garage. As the tornado continued northeast, damage quickly became more significant. Several homes, garages and structures near the intersection of Sugartown Road with Farm Market Road, Haines Hollow Road and Bonnie Way either had the full loss of the structure, loss of significant roofing material or the loss of some of the walls in the upper portion of the structure.
More modern construction fared substantially better than the majority of the structures in this area, the NWS reported.
Additionally, trees on the entire hillside north of the intersection were sheared off mid-trunk for hundreds of yards uphill from the structures.
The tornado damage continued northeast in a clearlydefined path across McGuan Road, with sheared tree trunks and sporadic structural damage to a few structures along the way. Tree damage became less severe after this point with intermittent tree damage continuing along the path until the tornado dissipated near Forks Creek in the town of Humphrey.
Brown said it was miraculous that residents in the home where the roof was torn off were not injured.
“It’s just amazing that they’re
OK,” he said. “The roof was just lifted right off the house. And there were some nearby barns and outbuildings that were just destroyed. … And there was a lot of valuable timber damage in the path (of the tornado). People don’t always think of the loss that can represent in terms of value for a property owner.”
There were also reports of a delivery truck being overturned in the area struck by the tornado.
Brown said he was also amazed at how quickly National Grid crews responded to the area — he said 11 crews reached the
Hayden Andera Brianna Aronson Elizabeth Ball Kathryn Bless Lauren Button Owen Doherty Jayden Doutt Benjamin Edwards Sarah Epps
Alivia Fisher Jack Flagg Tea Fuller Addison John Jacob Johnson Maddox Johnson Michael Kerns Alarice Krause Natalee Leiper
Mackenzie Marek Courtney Marsh Liam McGuire
Meacham-
Ryan Metzger Laurena Mooney Eve Niesyty Ryan Norton Jayce Pearl
Merek Peters Christopher Polino Grace Privitera Kyle
Photo provided
WEST VALLEY
—The West Valley Chamber of Commerce recently presented two awards at the West Valley Central School’s Academic Awards & Scholarship Banquet.
Annually, the chamber provides a $250 Community Service Award for a senior who demonstrates leadership in supporting their community through volunteerism.
“One of the Chamber’s roles is to help foster growth and development, and investing in our youth is one of the best ways to accomplish
West Valley chamber provides scholarships to WVCS grads
that initiative,” said Joseph Pillittere, Board President and CHBWV employee at the West Valley Demonstration Project. “By helping our youth succeed, we all grow together in creating a more sustainable future for our community.”
The second award, the Grover H. Riefler Scholarship Fund, provides a $500 scholarship to a senior entering a trade, vocational school or obtaining a CDL.
The Riefler Scholarship Fund was created in February 2025 at a Chamber
Board of Directors meeting in honor of Grover Riefler, a businessman and dedicated member of the community who helped others succeed by providing guidance, encouragement, and a mentoring spirit.
“It was bittersweet to provide this award tonight,” said Laurel Riefler-Bond, Grover’s daughter and Chamber Secretary. “I know my father would be happy to see the impact he had on the community. Now, he is impacting the lives of our future community members and leaders.”
If you are interested in learning more about the West Valley
Drainage is crucial to outdoor spaces
Outdoor living spaces can be welcoming areas to spend time in nature. Such spaces expand the possibilities for entertaining, as they tend to have more room for guests than home interiors, and they enable people to enjoy sunshine, fresh air and the sounds and sights of wildlife in relaxing settings. When planning outdoor living areas, homeowners must not underestimate the significance of drainage.
Patios, pergolas, decks, and landscaping can increase comfort and convenience for homeowners. In fact, connection to the outdoors ranked high on the top 10 list of design drivers in “The Future of Home Design,” a survey conducted by the New Home Trends Institute in collaboration with Pro Builder. Fifty-eight percent of survey respondents said connection to the outdoors will be an important influence on their design choices in the years to come.
When planning outdoor living spaces, it is easy to focus on aesthetic appeal and the finished project. But homeowners must carefully consider the impact these modifications will have on the landscape, particularly how they will affect drainage so it will not compromise the integrity of the new design nor impact the surrounding home and other structures.
According to Kelly Masonry in Pennsylvania, without proper drainage, water can accumulate and that can lead to various issues. Here’s a more indepth look at why drainage is crucial when planning outdoor living areas.
• Drainage prevents water damage. When water is allowed to collect on patios and in and around hardscaping features, it can cause the materials to deteriorate over the years. Pavers or stones may shift, crack or become discolored, eventually becoming less safe.
• Drainage reduces accessibility issues and safety hazards. Pooling water can make hard surfaces slippery, possibly leading to falls and other accidents. It also can make lawns soggy and muddy, which can limit easy access to areas of the yard.
• Drainage reduces soil erosion. Water can cause erosion of surrounding
soil, leading to uneven surfaces. Erosion also may threaten the stability of nearby structures.
• Drainage deters water infiltration. Water has a way of finding cracks and crevices and thus entering structures. Rainwater that is not properly directed away from a home may eventually seep into the foundation, causing anything from structural damage to mold and mildew to making damp areas conducive to pests.
Homeowners have different options when it comes to drainage in their outdoor living areas. Masonry experts will design patios with a slight slope to allow water to naturally flow away from the surface toward drainage areas. Together with well-placed gutters and downspouts, water can be directed away from the home.
Homeowners also might want to consider
two different types of drain systems. French drains are a system that involves a trench filled with perforated pipe and gravel to allow water to drain naturally from the yard, according to the Home Depot. French drains can redirect water away from living areas. Channel drains are another type of system. Central Turf & Irrigation Supply says channel drains are perimeter drains around patios and other hardscaping that act as an intercepter to prevent water from going where it isn’t desired. They are narrow trenches with a grate on top so that water enters and flows away.
Drainage is an essential consideration when planning outdoor living areas. Homeowners must use slope, drains and even vegetation to mitigate water issues on a property.
Photo provided
The West Valley Chamber of Commerce recently presented two awards at the West Valley Central School’s Academic Awards & Scholarship Banquet.